Concept

The design complements the Andreas Gordon Vocational School in Erfurt with a

independent extension building in the immediate vicinity of the University of Erfurt.

The goal is to create a spatial and architectural dialogue between two different educational environments:

practical vocational training and academic teaching.

The building develops a clear, modular structure, supported by a central truss.

The result is a precise spatial framework that combines openness, durability, and structural legibility.

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Supporting Structure and Facade

The supporting structure is based on a 5x5m grid with hot-dip galvanized HEB240

columns and truss girders, which span spans of up to 10m.

The bracing is provided by the surrounding facade columns with a 5m grid

and a 5m wide truss core with two parallel rows of trusses.

The ceilings consist of steel and embedded timber beams,

connected by bolted, removable nodes.

The façade, made of triangular timber and glass elements, follows a strict grid, is rear-ventilated, and rests slightly raised above the ground on a visible concrete base.​

 

Use

The building is functionally stacked: column-free workshops on the basement and ground floors, a timber-framed wood workshop on the first floor, and a boarding school area on the cantilevered second floor.

The supporting structure visibly and consistently supports this functional order.

The design is intended as a permanently usable, adaptable system,

with architectural attitude and constructive precision.